Military Appreciation Month - May 2010

In observation of Military Appreciation Month, nationwide DITY moving service ABF U-Pack Moving announces the addition of an in-house military relocation specialist and special discounts for military personnel moving cross country.

DITY Moving Service Announces Military Relocation Specialist

Fort Smith, Ark. — In conjunction with Military Appreciation Month, ABF U-Pack Moving announces the addition of a military relocation specialist and an exclusive military moving discount. Military personnel making a DITY move with ABF U-Pack are eligible for the discount and the services offered by the company's in-house specialist.

Ask anyone in the armed services— a military move isn't always easy. It can be even more complicated for military personnel that choose to do a DITY (Do It Yourself) move, whether it's for a PCS (Permanent Change of Station) move or TDY (Temporary Duty). ABF U-Pack recognized the need for a moving coordinator who can focus exclusively on handling military relocation moves.

Enter Becky James, ABF U-Pack's military moving specialist. James comes from a military family and previously worked at Fort Chaffee, Ark. No stranger to military requirements, Becky monitors each and every DITY move that passes through the U-Pack system. This includes alerting local terminals when a DITY move is coming up, making sure ABF personnel accurately weigh the trailers, and confirming receipt of the official weight tickets.

"I do whatever I need to do to help support our customers in the military," explained James. "If they need an extra copy of their military weight tickets, I'll email or mail them immediately. I've even received a few calls directly from TMO (Transportation Management Office) administrators to clarify a shipment's weight, and I'm happy to help do what I can to see that families get settled into their new surroundings. I'm always appreciative of the sacrifices of military personnel and their families, but it's brought to my attention even more during the month of May as we honor these heroes during Military Appreciation Month."

According to James, the key to completing a successful DITY move is requesting weight tickets. "It's important to understand that since regular U-Pack moves aren't weight-based, we normally don't weigh the moving trailer," advised James. "If the customer lets us know they're doing a military relocation and need weight tickets, we handle it from there."

With a DITY move, the government typically reimburses a service member for the cost of moving due to a military-ordered transfer. The service member is given an allowance equal to a percentage of what it would have cost the government to perform the military move. The cost of the move is deducted from the government allowance and any surplus can be retained by the service member. For this reason, many families choose self moving companies like U-Pack.

"We understand that moving is not only stressful, it can also be costly," said Kay Lynn Clay, U-Pack manager. "Although you'll find that U-Pack is already one of the most cost-effective ways to relocate, we have instituted a military move discount as a small token of our appreciation to military families serving our country so bravely. Just mention your military affiliation when you call for a free moving quote and we will apply the military discount to your rate."

ABF U-Pack Moving specializes in affordable do-it-yourself moving, providing the professional driver and equipment of traditional full-service moving companies at the cost savings of a rental truck. For more information, visit www.upack.com.